Holiday WishesStocking Stuffers Challenge
by geminiangel1964
Summary: Prompts for the challenge from LJ NCIS discuss.
1. Chapter 1 By the fireplace

"Cocoa?" Tony held a steaming cup out to the goth as she stared at the fire. "Abs?"

"Sorry."

"It's okay." Tony sank down on to the carpet bedside her. "Seem to have a lot on your mind. Want to talk?"

"Nah." Abby smiled sadly. "Don't want to spread my lack of spirit."

"Do I look like Fred?"

Abby looked puzzled.

"You know, Scrooge's nephew, A Christmas Carol. So many versions, so little time." Tony said a bit sarcastically.

"Not a fan?"

Tony shrugged his shoulders. "Liked Scrooged. Bill Murray. Who could go wrong?"

"I'm sort of surprised," Abby said sipping her cocoa. She was pleased to see Tony had put tree-shaped marshmallows in her cup. "I figured it would be one of your 'must watch' at the holidays."

"Cranky business man who suddenly redeems himself? With Senior as a father?" Tony shook his head. "I asked Santa every year to have the spirits visit Senior."

Abby rolled her eyes. "Easy to see it didn't work."

"So why aren't you 'home for the holidays'?"

"With everything going on and how backed up the lab is, I couldn't get extra time off. I'd have spent the time I did have on a plane out and back." Abby took another drink. "I sent their gifts out a couple of weeks ago."

"Well, I, for one, am glad you chose to spend this eve before Christmas Eve at chez Tony's." Tony put his arm around her and pulled her closer in a brotherly embrace.

"Me, too. Cocoa, cookies and a 'semi-real' fireplace," Abby waved her free hand at the electric fireplace.

"Ah, you haven't had the full experience yet." Tony produced a remote control. With a hit of a button, the fireplace began to crackle. "Voila. So, have I passed the test? You up for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day at chez Tony's? I have turkey tv dinners in case it snows and the Denny's down the road is open.

Abby snuggled in closer. She sipped her cocoa and smiled. It was hard not to smile. She might not be spending Christmas with most of her family, but she was spending it with her almost brother in front of an almost fire-place with plans for an almost real Christmas dinner. "Sounds perfect."


	2. Chapter 2 O Christmas Tree

"How did we get stuck getting the tree?" Kate asked again.

"Abby asked us to pick up one for the Toys for Tots display." Tony repeated for the fiftieth time.

"It's freezing. Grab that one and let's get out of here." Kate dabbed her nose.

"Kate, that is a blue spruce. We want a green tree."

"That one's green."

"That's a Norway Spruce. If we take that, we'll be back buying another after the needles fall off."

"Fine." Kate tugged her coat tighter around her body. "What's wrong with that one?" She pointed to another tree on the other side of the walkway.

"Those are pine trees."

"Isn't that what Christmas trees are to be? Grab and let's go."

"Kate," Tony tugged her arm keeping her from seizing the tree. "Pine trees are very fragrant. They can cause problems for people with allergies."

"Fine. Wallyworld it is." Kate turned on her heel.

"We are not getting an artificial tree." Tony refused to let go of her arm.

"Can I help you folks?" The tree attendant with a Santa hat approached them.

"Do you have any fir trees?" Tony asked.

"Sure do. They're straight ahead and turn left at the last row. They are a bit more expensive," he warned.

"Come on, Kate."

Kate reluctantly trailed after him. "Why a fir?"

"Holds its needles, even if someone forgets to water it. It has fairly firm branches. It doesn't affect people with allergies as much." Tony explained. "Here we go. This is a balsam." Tony pointed to a tree. "I don't really like the shape and it isn't really lush. These are Frasers."

"The limbs are a bit strange. I don't like the long blue branches." Kate looked at the trees carefully.

"Good eye. We don't want a Fraser. We want a Douglass." Tony turned at the end of the row. "Bingo." Along the wall were several Douglass Fir.

"Thank heavens. Can we go now?" Kate asked.

"Abby said seven feet?" Tony questioned.

"Up to seven and a half but no taller." Kate's reply eliminated several trees. Several more were excluded as too short. Kate watched as Tony stood the trees up straight and shook the limbs out. The he reach out to a limb and pulled out a couple of needles. "Why are you molesting that tree?"

"Checking to see if they have been taken care of. If they have been too dry, the needles will easily pull out." Tony explained. "You also need to be sure that the branches haven't been crushed, cracked or broken. You don't want a flat side on the tree. Last, you want to rotate the tree and make sure that the limbs appear evenly spaced. If not, there can be holes."

Kate watched as Tony put each tree through a thorough inspection. "I think," Tony pulled the one tree out from the row. "We have a winner."

"Whoa, Tony. I think that is over the budget." Kate whistled as she saw the tag. "Abby didn't give me anywhere near that much."

"Don't worry about it." Tony carefully maneuvered the tree up the aisle. "Between you and I, I've got this. I planned on just dropping what she gave you into the donation box."

"Tony, are you sure? That's a lot of money."

"Yes. That's my contribution." Tony grinned. "Let's get this baby wrapped up and back to the office."

"Kate, you picked a perfect tree." Abby happily circled the tree.

"I didn't pick it," Kate admitted. "Tony did."

"I was afraid he would just grab the first tree he saw."

Kate smiled. "You would be surprised.


End file.
